Wednesday, March 24, 2010

“We know people will buy the book for this recipe alone,” was noted on an entry for a green-chile chowder in Seasoned with Sun, the El Paso Junior League’s cookbook. Despite such high praise, this green chowder recipe—Maxon’s green chile chowder, to be exact—was not the reason why I had bought the book. Nope, I had purchased this cookbook to satisfy a burgeoning obsession with Junior League cookbooks, which began when I was home at Christmas.

My mom had put me on kitchen duty, but in between chopping onions and rolling out biscuits, I sat at her table and thumbed through her out-of-print copy of The Star of Texas Cookbook, put out by the Houston Junior League in the early 1980’s. After I finished that book, I moved on to her copy of a Colorado Junior League cookbook and one from Savannah as well. “I’ve never seen you read so much,” said Mom. And while that was probably her polite way of insisting I finish making dinner, I wasn’t deterred in my community-cookbook enthusiasm.

When I returned to New York, a trip to a Bonnie Slotnick’s magical used bookstore in the Village rewarded me with a copy of Fiesta, produced by the Junior League of Corpus Christi. Flavors, the Junior League cookbook of San Antonio came next. I was running out of money, so I had to temporarily pass on cookbooks from Dallas, Wichita Falls and Abilene, but a friend told me about Seasoned with Sun, the Junior League cookbook from El Paso, and so I ignored my impending poverty and groaning bookshelves and made the purchase.
Besides being fascinated with Junior League cookbooks, I’m also enthralled with El Paso. I admit that I don’t know that much about the town but I what I do know is fantastic. The food is outstanding, it has big sky and there are cowboy boot outlets. What more could you ask for?

I love community cookbooks because they tell the story of a place through recipes. Sure, most Junior League cookbooks are chock full of what my grandma calls ladies' food. But you’ll also find local flavor and history as well. Seasoned With Sun did not disappoint as there were plenty of Tex-Mex favorites sprinkled amidst Junior League classics such as avocado cocktail, asparagus vinaigrette, chicken breasts piquant and tuna puffs.

So what about this renowned green chile chowder? It seemed to straddle both the border and the Junior League with its tame potato base livened up with jalapenos and green chiles. The first time I made the soup, it was good, but I felt a recipe coming out of that part of the state deserved a bit more punch. The next time I made it I increased the numbers of chiles, threw in some cumin, cilantro, garlic and lime juice, and lightened it up by omitting a butter and flour roux. And while my changes might upset the El Paso Junior League, I was pleased with the results.

March is a confusing month, as nasty winter insists on sticking around even though milder spring has announced its presence. I find, however, that this soup works well in both situations. Served warm with cheese melted on top, it staves off the cold. And served chilled with a squirt of lime and some tortilla chips, it’s light and refreshing.

While you're enjoying this soup, perhaps you can help me. I’m looking to add to my collection—what are your favorite community or Junior League cookbooks?

Instructions:
Cook the poblanos and jalapenos under the broiler for about five minutes on each side or until thoroughly blackened. (The jalapenos will probably cook faster so remove them first) Place poblanos in a paper bag, close it and let them steam for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove stems from jalapenos and dice.

After 15 minutes, take the poblanos out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove seeds and stem and then dice the chiles.

In a large pot, heat on medium the butter until it’s melted. Add the onions and cook them for 10 minutes or just until they’re about to brown. Throw in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add to the pot the chiles, the potatoes, the chicken broth, the cilantro, the cumin, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Scoop out 2 cups of the soup and set aside. Puree the rest of the soup until smooth and then mix the smooth with the chunky. Add the milk and half and half to the soup and cook until warm. Squeeze in the lime juice and serve either warm or chilled, with cheese, tortilla chips and extra cilantro.

107 comments:

My favorite JL Cookbook is "Stop and Smell the Rosemary". It has a killer Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe, wonderful salads, etc. It has won many awards and was photographed by Houston's own Ralph Smith (Smithphoto.com). A definite 'must' for your collection!

I used to live right above Bonnie's bookstore--such a great place to spend time browsing! In France there's not so much of a community cookbook tradition, more of a mother-daughter transmission, I guess. Your soup looks delicious!

I'll be trying this recipe as soon as I get my kitchen back (currently being remodeled). I have to put in a plug for Flavors as well--glad you bought it. I live in San Antonio and it is everybody's favorite here! And though it's not a community cookbook, you might like W. Park Kerr and Norma Kerr's El Paso Chile Company's Texas Border Cookbook. It's outstanding!

Can you share what year your copy of Seaoned with Sun is? I have a few versions--wedding present and ones I bought when I lived in El Paso. I love hometown cookbooks and collect them. I look for them at yard sales since I can usually get them for a steal. My favorites are put together by churches =)

I agree that Houston's JL "Stop and Smell the Rosemary" is chocked full of wonderful recipes. I inherited a copy from my mother in law and it is a favorite. Also, the most recent Houston JL book "Peace Meals" is great. I just got it for Christmas so I havn't made too many recipes from it, but all that I have tried have been great!

By far, over the years, River Road, from south Louisiana...wonderful recipes...Also, Traditions, from Little Rock AR is well-thumbed and used. I really don't know if they are JL, but they are community and really good. River Road has stayed in print for years (I think I've had my copy for 30), not sure about Traditions...Traditions has wonderful comments and stories from Richard Allin, a well known essayist on things southern who is now deceased.

Oh, and I forgot about River Road Recipes, from the Junior League of Baton Rouge, LA. There are now, I think, four volumes -- the first and second are the best known; according to their website, Volume I is in its 70th printing. Seventieth! Goodness.

You did mention a Colorado JL cookbook already, but my favorite is the Creme do Colorado cookbook. We've used that and the Colorado Cache cookbook for years. It tends to hold those recipes that you just keep turning back too.

I think my favorite cheese enchiladas in the world come from the Flavors cookbook. I absolutely love that one. I'm also a big fan of the Augusta "Tea Time at the Masters" and the Louisiana (New Orleans?) "Lagniape"

Someone gave me Lone Star to Five Star the Plano JL cookbook as a wedding gift. I absolutely love it! Although, it looks like I'll need to pick up Houston's and El Paso's now! Thanks for the beautiful recipe. The Dallas weather may be warming up (finally), but I'm always in the mood for soup and chowder! I will definitely be cooking this over the weekend.

My favorite cookbook of this type is THE GALACTEGG GOURMET. It was produced by Electrical Eggs, a group that facilitates handicapped access at SF conventions. It featured recipes from SF writers and fans.

The Junior League cookbook from Lafayette, Louisiana "Talk About Good" is the one you want for real cajun cooking. It's available on Amazon and as a native of the Lafayette area I have had a copy all my adult life...wouldn't leave home without it!

I grew up in Florida, but both my parents are Texans and we later moved there. My mother used to always make a cookie recipe from the Abilene JL cookbook called "Tumbleweeds" - my dad loved them. Fast forward a few years to when we moved to Abilene, our next-door neighbor was the woman who had submitted the recipe!

The cookbook was from the 80s - it's funny to look back and see the names that have changed (i.e. Mrs. So and So is now divorced and is married to Mrs. So and So's ex husband).

I, too, LOVE Junior League cookbooks and I wholeheartedly agree with those who recommend Houston JL "Stop and Smell the Rosemary" I received their new one "Peace Meals" as a Christmas present and I am loving it, as well!

DEFINITELY get the McAllen Junior League cookbook -- "La Pinata." It dates from the very early 80s or late 70s, and it's got some fantastic recipes. They did a second book that is good, but not as fantastic as the first. There is an entire Mexican food section, and it is quite full. Also a lot of very decent game recipes.

In a town of 100,000 or so, that book has sold close to a million copies -- if that tells you anything. ;)

I like a hearty, vegetable chowder, and I think this one would be great year-round. The mix of potato, poblano, cilantro, and lime is a such a good one. In the summer, I might even throw in some fresh corn.

I just landed a copy of San Francisco à la Carte, 1979, by the San Francisco Junior League. I wanted it specifically for the Green Goddess Dressing recipe, which appears to be the closest to the original from the Palace Hotel.

Certainly you have Dallas Dish. ?? We put that out maybe five years ago and it is a beauty. One of the best recipes is for a chocolate layer cake, but I make it in a bundt pan, chill it, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. It is my signature "take along", although now all my friends will see and know I'm not a genius!

Ohmigosh! This looks and sounds sooo good!I love the old church or CWA (Country Women's Association here in Oz) cookbooks, and the first thing I'm going to do when I get home to CA, is hit the yard sales!Then I'll do my best to stock up on longed-for ingredients that I just can't get here.

I have a huge collection of JL cookbooks. I always look for them when I visit a city. Of course, I love or local Memphis Heart & Soul book. The International Assoc. of Junior Leagues has put out 3 collections best of recipes from all over. You can order them on Amazon.

The Gasparilla Cookbook from the Junior League of Tampa Bay Florida from the early 60's is my favorite. It was the most exotic thing in our Michigan home while growing up. Recipes like: Grapefruit Shortcake, Bollitos, Liptauer, Brandy Coffee Pie, Boone Tavern Hushpuppies, and "Girdle-Buster" Pie.....all to die for.

I love love love Jr League Cookbooks. The Beaumont Jr League's last one, Dining Without Reservations, has a microwave praline recipe. 13 minutes in the microwave. Seriously. Un-flippin-believable! The Cincinnati one "When Pigs Fly" is another great one but really, can you go wrong with a jr league cookbook?

I have about 10 or 12 of them, mostly ones from Virginia, Louisiana, and Florida.

(( I have also sold a bunch of them on Amazon over the years, having culled out about 25 or 30 of the JL books alone over the last 3 years!!! ))

I'm only keeping JL cookbooks from places I've been, or anything having to do with Cajun/New Orleans/Soul Food. Or that look interesting, or until I fill up the cookbook bookshelf again, or if I find them at a yardsale or thrift store really cheap.

Here's another vote for "Stop and Smell the Rosemary", which is a beautiful and elegant cookbook.

I lived in the Dallas area for 9 years before moving to the Houston area, and everyone near Denton swears by the Denton Woman's Club Cookbook. http://www.dentonwomansclub.org/COOKBOOKPAGE.html

And if you ever find yourself in the Dallas area, or visiting Grandma in McKinney, do make a side trip to Denton. Recycled Books on the Denton Square is a treasure. It has the most amazing array of junior league and community cookbooks (and cookbooks in general) downstairs. Great prices, constantly changing inventory, a real adventure, and a true Texas treasure!

I finally got the copy of my family's "Hospital Axillary" cookbook (from 1984). It is fun flipping through it, because the recipes that we used are on stained pages. I am also finding my Grandmother's notes in the margins.

"Seasoned With Sun" was my very first grownup cookbook, a Christmas present from my mom in the 1970s (first ed). Try the Chile Verde--it's great. Another good one is the Lubbock JL "A Perfect Setting." It has a great crockpot Beef Stroganoff, but my favorite recipe is "Tamale Soup." Both fabulous for a cold night--though I'll eat either in any season.

One of my favorite cookbooks is "The California Heritage Cookbook" for the Junior League of Pasadena (1976). It is sadly "thrashed" from constant use.My favorite recipes are Enchilada de Pollo Verde and an appetizer recipe for Mandarin Chicken wings.I have been prohibited by the "cookbook police" from buying any new cookbooks; basically because I have no room for more but reading about these cookbooks has stirred my passion !

Some of my mom's most used cookbooks were her copies of the Texhoma garden and rotary club cookbooks. And my grandma recently sent me the newest edition of her garden club's cookbook. I'm amazed that such a small town is able to produce so many cookbooks. =)

However, I'd recommend two more easily obtained junior league(-ish) cookbooks. One is Pirate's Pantry from the The Junior League of Lake Charles. The other is the grandma of 'em all though....

The Congressional Club Cookbook. It's annual collection of recipes submitted by the wives, husbands and assorted family members of the Members of Congress along with recipes from the Senators and Representatives themselves. My copy from 2005 is very pretty.

Ooh, this sounds delicious. I should really look for more Junior League cookbooks too! I only have one for Plano, Texas. I'd ignored it for the past few years, but the other day, I was thumbing through it, and realized just how delicious some of the recipes are in there! I definitely need to cook from it again!

Made this for light dinner last night, but added a twist I'm sure HT would approve of... I took a bit chipotle in adobo and pureed it with a bit of chicken broth and used it as a drizzle on the soup. Beside looking pretty, it gave a little more smoky oomph. Umm, ther is no leftover soup.

I actually have most of these. . . including both editions of Seasoned With Sun!! My Mom collected JL Cookbooks as she traveled with my Dad back in the 60/70s (her River Road I is absolutely threadbare). She started me down that road as a young wife/mother and I inherited all of her's (hence both editions of SWS. . her's and mine).

Lisa,You've come to my rescue again! I have been searching for a recipe for a chowder contest in Newport RI this June, and I had been thinking of something with squash and green chilis. this sounds perfect! I might add some form of fish or scallops to keep the New Englanders at the table.

I have enjoyed your blog so much. I have a sailing charter company and would love to treat you and a couple of friends to a day sail on the Hudson River. Anytime!

One of my favorites is the "Cottage Kitchen" Cookbook, out of San Marcos. It's older and the recipes haven't been "lightened up" at all. I like it because the food is all old fashioned comfort food and the recipes are pretty easy to change, yet they always work!

Thanks for the blog. I'm a homesick Texan myself and it is nice to relate.Lisa

I have a bag of Poblanos on my desk right now for dinner tonight - Pork Riblets w/Poblano crema - so good.Luchesse on your mind? I am glad you like my lovely city - yes the food is great and I think we are a friendlier bunch than the rest of Texas (sorry!).

This looks great -- and the ingredient list reminds me of the incredible potato soup served at Sammy's Restaurant in north Fort Worth. I begged for the recipe once and was soundly rebuffed. I'm putting ingredients on the shopping list right now.

The folks here in Colorado make something similar they call Green Chili. I've tried explaining to these people the chili is never green, but they won't listen. It's good nonetheless, but chili it ain't.

I have been collecting JL cookbooks for years. My favorites are San Francisco a la Carte, San Francisco Encore, Creme de Colorado and Savor the Flavor of Oregon. After reading the other posts, it might be time to add a few new ones to my collection.

My favorite is Calling All Cooks, a cookbook put together by the Alabama chapter of the Telephone Pioneers of America. I love reading through it for not only the great recipes, but for the instructions given as well. You can tell by the directions how the cook liked to do things, by hand or by graduated measure, by taste or by the teaspoon. Recipes also frequently call for oleo, which makes me giggle.

"Applehood and Mother Pie" was published back in the '80s by the Junior League of Rochester (NY), and it had some fabulous recipes. Very reliable. It was in a 3-ring binder format with a bright green bendable cover, so it stood up on its own.

I bought Seasoned With Sun years ago yet I've never made the Green Chili Chowder! I too love regional cookbooks. My husband says, "How can you read a cookbook with no pictures???" Joy over at GrannyMountainHave a great weekend Lisa!

I love the Fredericksburg Home Kitchen Cookbook. It has recipes from 1916! You can tell how old some of them are by the ingredients or cooking methods. It also makes me smile to see a page with half german recipes and half mexican american recipes. So many german soups and pastries! Also the easiest and best peanut butter cookies i've ever made in there (just eggs, sugar, and peanut butter).

Two years ago, while I was studying Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico, I bought La Esencia de la Cocina Mexicana, which is a junior league-ish type cookbook put out by the Cuernavaca chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa. I love it because the recipes are distinctly Mexican, but they have that same lady-food quality that your grandmother refers to.

BTW -- I love your blog. I found it a couple of years ago searching for a Texas style catfish recipe. A lot of your recipes are for dishes that I didn't know I was homesick for until I read them. I left Texas (Conroe) when I was twelve (30+ years ago). I now regularly make King Ranch Chicken, Texas Sheet Cake, and Catfish --and I always check your site before I make a Texas dish.

I love the Portland OR JL cookbook, Portland's Palate. It's got so many great recipes and these days you can get the ingredients in most places. I live in Dallas TX now and the local JL here has a good cookbook, too, so I'm sure I'll be purchasing soon. I love JL cookbooks!

While I don't fit the Junior League profile, I sure love their cookbooks. My three favs you should consider are: True Grits (Atlanta), Toast to Tidewater (Norfolk-Virginia Beach), and Come On In (Jackson, MS).

Great piece on the chowder. I might have to adapt your recipe so that I can use up some Hatch green chilis that are sitting in my freezer!

I made this last night and ate two bowls before I knew what I had done. Each bite was followed with an "UMMMM". The only thing I did differently was add some Velveeta in the soup at the very end.. then I called it... Chile Relleno Chowder!! Love you Homesick Texan! Living in Roswell NM...some people consider this West Texas!

Hi! I can't wait to try the soup!! Three of the best Jr. League cookbooks are Cotton Country, Traditions from Little Rock and the original blue Dallas Jr. League Cookbook. You will have to get these on ebay or something like that. They are "older"!

I love both the Colorado Collage and Houston's Peace Meals books. My obsession also started after being home in Houston for Christmas with my mom and her books! Can't wait to try this chowder, I'm always searching for the best green chile anything recipes.

Love the changes you've made to the recipe in the El Paso JL cookbook. I've made it from the book and thought it was a little "flat". Will try your version; know it will be great.

I have a dog-eared, stained, worn out copy of a Lafayette JL cookbook--"Jambalaya" that I've used for 30 years. One of my favorites, with a low quotient of "lady food" and a high proportion of solid creole dishes.

My favorite JL cookbook so far is Charleston Receipts. It was so popular that they made a second, Charleston Receipts Repeats. The Easy Baklava in the first edition is actually amazing baklava. I really enjoy reading your blog.

I love the Junior League of Dallas cookbooks - both the 1976 edition and the new beautiful coffee table book "Dallas Dish". I realize as a former JLDallas member I might be a tad biased, but I really do love Dallas Dish and it is my go to gift for showers, housewarmings, and hostess gifts!

Momma gave me a copy of the Austin, TX JL book called "Necessities and Temptations" when I left North Mississippi in 1989. Several recipes within its covers have become staples of mine, especially for party foods and such.

There is a great fake/quick mole sauce made with a cocoa powder roux and garlic that really works. It's in a cheese enchilada recipe.

Your website keeps me inspired to cook and has provided many great ideas and recipes. Keep up the good work.

I'll go look through my cookbooks, but I'm pretty sure I have a half dozen Jr. League cookbooks at least. I have Flavors, being a native San Antonian. After moving away, I found that having some Tex-Mex recipes was essential even though I only moved to Dallas. One of my fav enchilada recipes for decandent chicken enchiladas is in the Beaumont JL cookbook. It's yummy.

Greetings from San Antonio! As you know, it is Hatch Chile season at HEB so I bought a bag of already roasted peppers. And in spite of it being 102* today, I made your green chile chowder. It was delicious and made me think of fall. I had a fleeting thought of turning the AC down to 65* and digging out a sweater. Thanks for the recipe!

I am a New York City transplant now living in Colorado and I'm really excited about cooking in my much, much larger kitchen. Mexican cuisine is a huge part of the food culture here, as it is in Texas. I cam across this recipe and it looks great. But-- do you think I can substitute hatch chiles for poblano peppers? Are any of these chiles interchangeable? Iv'e got a bunch of hatch chiles and Im not sure what to do with them-- and I love soups!Thanks for you thoughts. -Batya

I agree with Stop and smell the Rosemary! JL book and the chicken tortilla soup is the best! I have been looking for this recipe, forgot which cookbook it was in, until I read your post and the first person said it. It is a five star recipe, I just add frozen corn. I am making it today, yum yum!

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